My recipes and inspiration, from my hometown of Chicago to my favorite places to visit. I love to cook and eat in season, so most of my recipes and meals are affordable. I've combined a love of good food and some serious couponing skills to make meals that are restaurant worthy while spending less.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Creamy Homemade Chicken Stew

The cooler autumn weather really puts me in the mind for soups and stews, hearty pastas, and savory roasted treats. Lately, chicken has been what everybody's in the mood to eat, so I took some odds and ends out of the fridge and pantry and came up with a hearty and slightly creamy chicken stew that was a huge hit - and there are a few store-bought shortcuts to make this an easy weeknight menu option, too.

I made a chicken and vegetable stock from scratch, as I had lots of veggies that were getting a little too soft for snacking - but that's the beauty of soup! You can make use of a lot of things you already have on hand and end up with an amazing meal for so little money. Here's what I did:

Heat olive oil in a 5-7 qt. stock pot over medium heat, add celery, onions, and carrots and cook at medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add all remaining ingredients except salt and top 4 quarts of water. Raise heat to a medium-high and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Taste and add salt and additional seasonings as needed.

Directions:
Heat butter and olive oil over a medium heat until oil starts to shimmer. Then add onions, celery, carrots, shallots, and garlic to pan. Sautee over medium heat until just tender, then add basil, oregano, black pepper, and salt to taste, stirring well. Add in flour, a tablespoon at a time and stir constantly, add white wine. Stir in stock by the ladleful, while stirring. Once stock is incorporated, add potato and chicken and let simmer over a medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes. Stir in heavy cream 5-8 minutes before serving, keep stew at a low simmer. Top with fresh parsley, parmesan, chives, green onions, or cheddar cheese as desired. I topped mine with 1-2 T. parmesan.

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All the recipes listed here are my originals, except where otherwise stated. Feel free to use my recipes, but if please do not reproduce them without giving credit to their author, namely me.If any recipes here are not my originals, I have credited their author, publication house, magazine, etc.Thank you and happy eating.

About Me

Hi, I'm Annie - a 30-something, Chicagoland almost-foodie that loves spending less, but I'm big on flavor.
I started this blog to catalog my recipes and make it easier to share my favorite eats and treats.
I try to make recipes that are easily affordable, but make no mistake, I want full flavor on a tight budget.